Chinese women snap selfies in support of survivor in Stanford sexual assault case

Chinese women are leading a viral campaign of support for the victim in the controversial Stanford sexual assault case.Last week, the defendant in the case, a former Stanford swimmer named Brock Turner, was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault. While prosecutors recommended that Turner be given a six-year prison sentence, Judge Aaron Persky instead sentenced him to six months in prison, worrying that a harsher sentence would have “a severe impact on him.”The controversial ruling has ignited outrage on campus and across the US. But it has also reached all the way over to the Middle Kingdom, where a group of Chinese feminists and activists have launched a campaign on Facebook, Weibo and Twitter, calling for women to share “selfies with solidarity for the Stanford survivor.”

For those without VPNs:

#‎征集照片声援斯坦福被性侵女生‬ ‪#‎Solidarity4StanfordSurvivor‬Rape is a form of gender violence that is everywhere in the world. Sexist and racist justice systems have facilitated this by ignoring, dismissing and devaluing survivors’ experiences. Nobody earns the right to rape. No one should be freed of their crimes, just because they are young, talented or have a promising future (read: privileged). China has a similar situation. Instead of focusing on the offenders, the law, the courts and our sexist society always blame the victims! It stinks. Feminist activism is a transnational movement! We are all connected. We can’t be free if our sisters on another part of the planet are still suffering. As Chinese feminist/queer activists, we can’t remain silent in this Stanford case. We have learnt well from our past (like ‪#‎FreeTheFive‬ ) that feminists and queers can’t win any justice alone. We know our solidarity pictures are small efforts. But our message is simple: The Stanford survivor and all the survivors who face injustice, you are not by yourself. We are in this fight together!We, Chinese feminist/queer activists, call for seflies with solidarity for the Stanford survivor. Come, Join us! Post your selfies, @FreeChineseFeminists (on Facebook) or @女权行动派吃不完 (on Weibo)

#‎NoRape‬ Rape is a Crime!This Monday (June 6th, 2016), Brock Turner, the defendant in Stanford rape case, was sentenced to a mere six months in jail and his father complained that his son’s life had been ruined for “20 minutes of action” fueled by alcohol and promiscuity. Judge Aaron Persky handed him a light sentence because he considers Turner young and talented. The trauma imposed on the victim is downplayed by the judge, the defendant and his family. This draws outrage all over the world.We, Chinese feminist/queer activists, call for seflies with solidarity for the Stanford survivor. Come, Join us! Post your selfies, @FreeChineseFeminists (on Facebook) or @女权行动派吃不完 (on Weibo)

Women from across China and all around the globe have responded to their call:

One of the leaders of the campaign, Zheng Churan, a prominent Chinese feminist, spoke with The Guardian about the purpose of their campaign:

It is unbelievable that this kind of thing could happen in America which claims to be democratic and free. The first question I had [after hearing of the ruling] was whether the judge would have given the same sentence had the perpetrator been a talented black student.We want more people to know that it is unacceptable to condemn the victim and it is unacceptable to encourage sexual violence. We want the perpetrator and the judge to see that we women are united and that escaping the correct punishment is not so easy.